Managers’ competences in social enterprises: what specificities?

In any enterprise, the manager keeps a determining and real leeway which is susceptible to stimulate, give directions to the organization (Pichault, 2009), and is determining in the capability to innovate (King, 1990; Osborne, 1998; Schin & McClomb, 1998). That leadership style needs therefore to be adapted to the specific internal context of the organization (Schmid, 2006).
The paper examines what are the specific competencies of the manager in social enterprises, by constructing a competencies model, the emblematic tool of the competence-based management, relevant to social enterprises (Collin & Grasser, 2007; Retour & Rapiaux, 2006; Oiry & Sulzer, 2002). Our hypothesis is standing that certain competencies mobilized by managers in social enterprises are specific, regarding to the particular internal and external context of social enterprises, etc.
First of all, we propose a theoretical competencies model for the managers in social enterprises, based on a review of the literature and the conduction of 12 semi-structured interviews of experts and managers. Then, we propose a competencies model for the manager in social enterprises. Finally, group interviews with some managers of social enterprises are conducted in various European countries as this research takes place in a European research on long-life learnings.